TB eradication 'could take at least 50 years'
In 2013, the government launched a strategy to rid England of bTB within 25 years.
The government's aim to achieve TB free status by 2038 is 'grossly underestimated', according to cattle vet Den Leonard, who believes it could take at least 50 years to eradicate the disease.
Mr Leonard made the comments during the British Cattle Breeders' Conference in Telford this month, Farmers Weekly reports.
"Bacteria are all different and M bovis takes a long time to show, staying in a cow's immune cells," he is quoted by the news source as saying.
"This also limits how well vaccination can work. Animals can live through infection as carriers for many years if not detected and culled."
In 2013, the government launched a strategy to rid England of bTB within 25 years. It set out steps to be taken in areas such as disease surveillance, pre- and post-movement cattle testing, removal of cattle exposed to bTB, tracing potential sources of infection and wildlife control including culling and vaccination.
Mr Leonard reportedly cited New Zealand's 50-year TB eradication programme, saying it could take at least as long to eradicate the disease in England.
Testing, culling and biosecurity were highlighted as key integrated industry approaches to tackling bTB. He also admitted that farmers could do more to assess the threat of disease when buying cattle.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
